Dead Birds

by Stray Dog Kane

And now for someone compleatly different

The day was the same, kinda. Rose croissants and fried hay still left an odd taste in his mouth, but the side salad was good. At least before he realized onions that made him sick were in it. Didn’t Dr. Larch tell them about that?

The big dog raised his paw, calling a orderly over. Said pony shook his head, leaving, then returning with a new salad.

Soon, with lunch over, Sunshine didn’t have much else to do but go to his room.

With pretty bird gone, Sunshine didn’t have much to do with anyone. Ponies still backed away from him, but Dr. Larch gave him that crafting idea, and that filled time when it could.

The basket he wanted to gift somepony was still unfinished in his room, and it would be awhile before he could get back to the art room to finish that whittling he’d been doing as well.

Larch could use a new cane, he thought.

His attempt at weaving in his room ended when his ears perked up to the sound of a shout from down the hall. Knowing the voice, so he poked his head out to see what was wrong.

“Oh, not again…” said Dr. Larch in a weary voice with his head down.

“Hey doc, what’s up?” asked Soft Touch, stopping to take a drink of mint tea as the trotted up.

Dr Larch tapped the door once with his hoof and shook his head. “I locked my keys in again…” he said in defeat.

“You sure?” Soft asked. “Last time we found them in the rec room when…”

“No, I’m sure,” Dr. Larch replied, looking back with a sad smile. “I even left them on the desk so I…wouldn't forget it….” Lartch let out a sigh as his head lowed again.

“Hold on doc, I’ll get the master.” Soft left down the hall, heading to the janitor closet that the diamond dog knew was some distance away. However Sunshine had another idea, a good one too.

The dog hopped up onto his bed, and with his paw’s claw, undid the vent’s screws. It was a talent he had learned well from experience over the time he’d been there. From him using the screwdrivers in the art room, to seeing how his claw could undo screws the same way. The vents were some fun to explore inside when he became bored at night.

With the maze well in his memory it wasn’t long until he had crawled to the vent of the doctors office.

The other step was popping the other cover off. He heard about the word “Crafty” and he felt like that. While he wandered to vents late at night when he couldn't sleep, he always pondered entering some rooms. However, with no way to put covers back on from inside saw it as a poor idea. But this was an emergency.

The office was the same as usual, desk, chairs and filing cabinet. The key was on the desk, amid some folders and papers.

Popping the key ring in his jaws, Sunshine moved to pick up the vent cover on his way out. And that was when Soft Touch unlocked the door from outside.

“Um?” Sunshine said with notable tension. He had to hope they weren’t going to be angry.

The door opened with Dr. Larch and Soft Touch next to each other. Them seeing the dog in the room had both wide eyed.

“Uh, hello Doctor Larch,” Sunshine said, key ring still in his mouth.

“How….Sunshine you….?” Soft said, and looked like he wasn’t sure how to react as Dr. Larch just blinked.

They still looked upset, but Dr. Larch seemed less though. Even partly finding humor in it.

“Are those my keys?” Larch asked, beckoning the dog over with his hoof. Sunshine nodded as he walked over, spitting out the keys and gave them over. Sunshine was a bit nervous, but Larch looked amused. “You were trying to get my keys for me,” he giggled. “That’s kind of….”

“Doc...” Soft Touch said with a serious tone, that scar on his features made him look more unhappy. It had only healed a day ago after the attack. “You know he’s kind of a security risk now ,Larch,” he said. “These vents go through the entire complex.”

“I am aware of that Soft, but he doesn’t seem to mean harm in it,” Doctor Larch said. He then looked Sunshine in the eye. “Right, Sunshine? You haven’t been causing trouble with this, have you?” Sunshine nodded back.

“No trouble, just wandering,” he said as he nodded back.

“There are rules doc, and this is kind of worrying,” Soft countered. “From possible theft to him potentially breaking into rooms at after hours. So I really got to report this on this.” The diamond dog gulped. “Sorry Sunshine, but we got rules for a reason.”

“Well, if it help, could you search his room?” Dr. Larch asked the orderly. “You haven’t taken anything, have you Sunshine?”

“Borrowed some fish bone from pretty bird. They chewy,” Sunshine replied. He had forgotten to tell pretty bird he’d borrowed them. She’s going to be mad at him and his poor memory, even Dr. Larch put his hoof onto his face and sighed. “Am I in trouble now?” he asked.

“Kind of, yes,” Dr. Larch replied, putting his hoof down. “I can see you mean no harm in it, but I can’t allow you to use the vents. Ok?”

“Why?” Sunshine asked, confused. “Don’t want to escape or hurt no one.”

“I know, I know,” Larch replied, putting a hoof on the dog’s side. “But Mr. Soft Touch has a point on this.” He gestured for Sunshine to leave the office. As Sunshine walked back into the hall, Soft left for the dogs room as Dr. Larch continued. “Many ponies are already nervous about you, Sunshine. And I know you do this because you are bored.”

“Why they always scared of me?” Sunshine asked, a bit saddened. “Don’t mean harm to them.” He stood there for a bit, until the doctor put a hoof on his back, pointing to a table in the rec hall.

“But they don’t know that Sunshine,” Larch answered softly, nudging the dog to walk with him. “And I’m afraid that if they knew you were in the vents more than a few of the other patients would panic.” While Sunshine wasn’t completely sure why, the doctor continued. “Ponies tend to be scared of things they don’t understand. To you, it seems to be just wandering. But to them, they think of it as lurking, maybe even plotting. Do you understand?”

“Not really?” Sunshine really didn’t. After he met Eddy and pretty bird Gilda he had to wonder why so many found him so scary.

Larch shook his head as he helped guide the dog. Having reached their destination, the pony pulled the dog a chair at a table.

“Can you stay here while Soft Touch does his search?” Larch asked, and Sunshine nodded back. “That’s good. I’ll have him come back for you when he is done, and we’ll talk more about this later, ok?” Sunshine nodded again. “There’s a good boy.”

Larch patted the large dog on the head, with some difficulty, but thankfully the diamond dog was already sitting down. With a smile, the doctor hobbled back to his office.

Sunshine waited for a bit, tapping his paws on the table. Pretty bird would drink coffee about now, if she was there, but she wasn’t. While they were already out of juice in the fridge, water worked out well for a drink. Even so, he still had nothing to do while he waited.

Shouter, Trembles, and Chubby were sitting at another table. Two playing a game of checkers as the Trembles read a book.
Sunshine kept forgetting their names, much like pretty bird, so he named them after what he saw them do.

Shouter, who kept shouting, was talking a lot as usual. While Chubby, who looked full, mostly grunted. Giggles was laughing with Grumpy Wing in the corner table. With grumpy staring stoically back to the laughing pony. While Cozy, comfortable in his place, was content to read a book by himself in a far corner.

Then again, Trembles was reading a book at the same table as Chubby and Shouter for some reason too. He had to wonder why she didn’t just sit alone like Cozy did. And why did she keep trembling?

He did read some about woodwork and weaving some time ago. It got him to ask about the craft stuff in the art room.

Then again, Cozy’s book about some yellow king that didn’t make much sense to him. The cozy pony just kept saying he wouldn't understand it’s complexity like he did. He still didn’t, seeing as he wasn’t able to read that book. Cozy never shares his book with anyone.

Teal Trembles read about looking glasses, as far as he could tell from the title. He never got that either. Maybe about eyeglasses?

She had them on as she read, flinching as Shouter declared the coming victory he had coming to Chubby again. Their game seemed likely to be something he could share in, and he also never asked Trembles about her book. Maybe she would share?

“No way!” said Shouter, seeing how Chubby had gotten a checker piece across the board. “How’d ya do that?!”

“Maybe if you looked at the board, Sylvester Stallion,” Chubby said mockingly back to the shocked pony. “Instead of all your blabbing. Now king me.”

“Can I play?” Sunshine asked the pair. It was then that they noticed him, like they never heard him coming.

Trembles gulped as she covered her face with her book, and Shouter and Chubby just looked at him stoically.

“Um, next game?” Sunshine added with his own nervousness.

“Were in the middle of it, dog boy!” Shouter said as he looked back at the board. “Go bother that yellow pony worshiper again.” He then notice how Trembles was still into her book. “What is it with you book ponies? You're just shutting themselves outta stuff anyway?”

“But Cozy said I don’t know what he talking about,” Sunshine replied. “Why king yellow, but that king black?” He pointed to the piece on the board. “Different crowns?”

“It’s a mask and tatters, you stupid dog,” Cozy yelled from his corner.

“King in tatters?” Sunshine asked. But Cozy just went back to his reading, shutting him out and not interested in telling the dog anything else.

Then again, so did Shouter and Chubby. They were back to their game as Sunshine stood there a moment, wondering if they would say anything more. But they were silent as Sunshine pondered for a bit.

“Is tatters what that princess pony wears?” he asked. “Thought that was jewel stuff.” Nether gaming pony looked up. Trembles did, if reluctant, ducking behind her book again when the dog looked.

Sunshine went back to his chair feeling a bit dejected as ponies seemed to go well enough without him. Getting a drink of water, he wondered when the search Soft Touch was doing was going to be done.

Then the lights in the room flickered.

He was unnerved by that, as lights out wasn’t for a while yet. Trembles let out a yelp as she hid under that game table. But Giggles seemed more amused but the sudden darkness.

“Storms taking that lights out,” he said jokingly. “Then those nasty, scary night monsters will come from those shadows.” He waved his hooves for a bit with a bit of a wind noise, an “Oooh” noise.

Trembles yelped again from her hiding place. Night monsters are bad news, Sunshine guessed.

“Do chairs work on night monsters?” he pondered seriously aloud. They worked well on that mad pony, he recalled.

Dr. Larch and Soft Touch entered the rec room with a fast gallop as the lights flickered more. Both of them looked frantic, as Soft put a hoof in his mouth and whistled. It hurt the dog’s ears, but it called all the other ponies to attention.

“Everyone, we need you to return to your rooms!” said Larch in a nervous, but controlled voice.
Though most other ponies shrugged and got up to leave, Trembles still hid and Cozy was still un-interested. Sunshine still wondered if that search was done.

“What’s with the lights, Larch?” Cozy asked in an uninterested voice. “I’m trying to read here.”

“We have an emergency in the other wing,” Dr. Larch answered back to him. “Now please, get to your room. It’s for your own safety.” Despite the fact the doctor looked like this was serious, the other pony didn’t seem too concerned.

“Meh,” said Cozy as he went back to his book. “It’s my rec time doc, and some emergency isn’t my problem.”

“Nero, this is serious!” Soft said with anger. “Things are…”

He was cut off when the doors to the next wing burst open with an orderly and a armor pony running through it. The armor shut it after, and was now holding it shut. Soft didn’t seem much more worried, but Dr. Larch looked like he was shaken.

“How bad is…?” Soft was about to ask. But Flask, the other orderly pony, interrupted him.

“He’s frozen half the wing!” he yelled loudly as he shivered. “Anypony that comes near him gets frozen!”

“Oh dear…” Dr. Larch said as he backed away. “Oh no…” The doctor began to tremble before Soft Touch put a hoof on him.

“Doc, get to your office and lock the door,” he said carefully, then turning back Sunshine and other patients. Neither Trembles, nor Cozy had moved. “You three, get to your rooms, NOW!” He pointed to them and then the hallway with a frantic gesture as Dr Larch hobbled as quick as he could away to his office.

But no one else moved.

“If I was him, I’d just escape,” Cozy said without lowering his book. “Like he’d just stick around…”

“This isn’t a debate!” the Flask orderly said angrily. “Now move!”

Cozy seemed content to sit there as Trembles still hid, she whimpered more and more. Sunshine just stood there as well, he knew that feeling that was coming. He felt it when the mad pony first bared his teeth. It was a chill that hit him sharply, putting him on edge.

Soft was about to yell again, but the armor pony looked to him horrified.

“He’s at the door!” she said, turning her head away from the door for a moment. “I’ll draw his….”

That’s when the doors blew up.

Where once was just some walls and a door, there was now a lot of ice. Armor pony didn’t get a chance to fight back before she was frozen, same for Soft Touch and Flask.

A chilly, angry looking green pony stood there. With freezing wind and bits of frost around his grim form.

“Where is Dr. Larch?” demanded the shark tooth, mad pony in a cold voice.

It was silent as no one spoke up. Soft, Flask, and Armor were still trying to get free. But the only sound was Tremble’s crying in the background. “Where is he?” Package Deal’s voice was scary, even when it didn’t yell. Sunshine felt its force in his bones.

“In his office, mad pony,” Cozy replied with a dismissing hoof. “Now go awa…” His eyes opened in shock as his legs froze out from under him, causing him to drop his book. His forelegs were still free, but couldn't reach where his book had landed.

The mad pony, instead of leaving, walked up to Sunshine. Despite being taller, the dog gulped as the chilling pony trotted to him. Despite saying nothing, Package Deal gave him a glare for a moment until the dog spoke up.

“You chilly,” Sunshine said looking back at the pony. “W-why you chilly?” Deal said nothing as he faded into a foggy mist that went down the hall, blown by an unknown wind. “Not right, not right,” Sunshine muttered as he held his freezing paw.

He knew that feeling, he just knew it.

“Is he gone?” shouted Cozy, still stuck in ice and snapping the dog out of his fear. “Will someone get me out of this?”

Sunshine did exactly that, if only to lower his tension. He needed something blunt, so he got a chair to smash the ice off.

“What!” Cozy’s eyes were scared when the large dog stood over him. “What are you? Mad?” Sunshine readied the chair. “Yes, yes you are.” Was Cozy’s words as he covered his head with his fore hooves.

After a few blows, the ice was off.

Cozy was still yelling at him as Sunshine went to free the orderlies and guard. Armor pony helped free the last one before all could hear the screams from down that hall. Sunshine knew who it was.

“Doctor!” Sunshine yelled. Chair in mouth and running on all paws, he ran down that hall with haste. He ran as fast as he could as the screaming soon stopped.

When he reached the office, seeing that the door was gone with more ice on the floor and walls, Deal was there. He stepped out of the door with a tense grin on his face.

Despite making no sound, Deal saw him and the chair was knocked out of his jaws by a sudden wind. But the pony didn’t attack him, he just looked at him with that cold look as Sunshine tried to get his paws up.

“You don’t even know why you are here, do you dog?” Deal said in a warped tone.

Sunshine didn’t know how to answer. He was silent, before the pony morphed into a cloud that rushed into him. It became solid again as a hoof grabbed the dog by his ear, causing Sunshine to yelp to yelp.

“You are ignorant of what you’ve done.” Deal growled as Sunshine whimpered. “And yet, here you are in blissful ignorance.” The pony took an unnerving breath. “Why would that pony ever forgive you for what you’ve done to him?”

Sunshine had no idea what Package Deal was talking about, but he did know one thing.

“But you chilly!” Sunshine said with what determination he had. “Y-you enjoy hurting things you don’t like!” he yelled back. “You no better than me!”

That got him thrown down the hall, knocking the incoming armor pony over.

He still got up, with Soft’s help and looked back at the mad pony defiantly. He did all he could not to growl, that anger make his teeth clatter.

“I have no time for you,” Deal answered, uninterested in the scene. “Go wander like a child and be glad I am not after you.” He became mist and air again, and vanished from sight.

Armor pony and the orderlies just stood there as all could hear more crashing far away, but that wasn’t Sunshine’s concern.

“Doctor!” he shouted as he dashed into Larch’s office “Doctor!” Sunshine looked and found the doctor engulfed in ice. With frantic paws, he smashed at it. “Doctor! You ok Doctor?!” To his relief, Larch weakly answered him.

“Pull...the ice...off,” said the Dr. Larch, breathing heavily. “It’s cracked….”

Putting his paws into the cracks, the dog broke loose the ice plates. Freed, Larch collapsed onto the floor shivering.

“You ok?” Sunshine nudged the Doctor's body, finding it was cold to the touch. Behind him, the other three from the hall looked on. With Soft and Flask moving forward.

Dr. Larch, still gasping, managed to speak. “Cold,” he said softly. “The others?”

“Soft, Flask, and Armor was frozen.” Sunshine answered, gesturing to the three. “But they free now!” The doctor struggled to get up, with Soft Touch helping him stand.

“You...need to stop him,” Dr. Larch said, either aware or unaware of who was carrying him. “Someone needs to stop Deal.”

“Me not leave you,” Sunshine said, helping Soft with the stricken doctor.

As they moved the pony, they could feel that chill. Larch’s skin was still as cold as that ice had been, but neither minded.

The armor pony and Flask kept an eye out as Larch was gotten back to the rec room, the doctor was put onto the lounge couch with a warm blanket. Cozy even looked up for a moment with some surprise, but went back to his reading regardless. The others breathed a sigh of relief, with Trembles still content to hide.

Soft went over to Dr. Larch’s side, while Armor pony spoke to them.

“Where did he go?” she asked him, but Soft could only shrug. Larch was in no shape to answer either.

“Dr. Larch said he need to be stopped,” Sunshine said to armor pony. “Think he left though.” The pony shook her head, annoyed at how obvious that was.

Still, she looked determined. “Is he ok, Soft?” she asked the orderly. He sighed as he felt the weak doctors head.

“Doc’s passed out, but he’ll live,” Soft replied as held Dr. Larch’s hoof. Flask got around to using his horn to use his magic. Whatever spells were used Sunshine had no idea, but at least Larch stopped shivering.

“I’m going to call for backup,” said Armor pony quickly, readying her wings and hooves. “Can you guys hold the fort in the mean time? I won’t be long.”

“Yeah,” Soft Touch said with a nod. He looked soft to Sunshine, as he somewhat cradled the doctor who still moaned. “Just tell those guard ponies to hurry, ok?” The armor pony nodded and flew off on her wings.

“Do I still go to room?” Sunshine asked, as he never got an answer on that. “Is search done?” While Flask facehooved, Soft began to laugh.

“Nah,” Soft replied, letting out a soft chuckle as he did. “You're ok here for now.” He paused for a moment, noticing that Trembles was still cowering. “Can you go help her up?”

He gestured to where Trembles was hiding, still curled up in a ball and sobbing. So, Sunshine walked over and gave her a nudge, and she started to scream in response.

“Easy, Easy!” Soft shouted back. “Don’t worry. He’s not gonna hurt you, he just wants to help.” Trembles looked up with tears in her red eyes, so Sunshine offered his paw to her.

Maybe it was due to him not moving it closer, but she looked less scared. Eventually, she reached forward and took it.

Sunshine helped Trembles up, getting her to a chair so she could sit down. The dog even picked up her book and put it on the table for her, before sitting down as well. Even with the lights flickering, he could see the unfinished game was still on the board.

“Play game?” he asked her, only to realize that Trembles was still trying to calm herself. “Um, maybe?”

“Was that a boogie man?” Trembles asked, still shivering with tears still on her face. “Like that night monster Nero kept talking about?”

“Don’t know,” Sunshine answered looking down at the table. Cozy didn’t seem to wish to answer her question, so it was quiet for a moment. ”Don’t think he coming back.” he assured. “Other ponies gonna stop him.” There was another pause between them, with neither side speaking. “Maybe, play game now?”

Trembles looked about unsure, but then she spoke.

“I’m…I’m more of a chess pony,” she said scratching grey mane. “They only got the checkers set out.”

“What chess?” Sunshine asked, scratching his ear.

“Chess set is in the cupboard,” said Soft Touch from where he was. “Third from the left.”

So Sunshine went to pull it out.

It was a box with a bunch of shaped pieces in it, which he didn’t understand. But he knew Trembles did, so he got it out for her.

“How play?” he asked Trembles, putting the box on the table.

“You don’t know, so...” Trembles said slowly, opening the box. Sunshine shrugged and she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Can you learn how? Like, how much do you know?”

“Learned how to weave basket cases,” Sunshine replied with a proud nod. Trembles blinked, not yet knowing Sunshine was a bit proud on his crafting. “Me can learn.”

“That….works I guess,” Trembles said as she set up the board. Then she pointed out how how knight and rooks work.

Then pawns and bishops, kings and queens. It didn’t seem too hard for Sunshine. It looked fun, more fun than being by himself anyway.

He still lost though, and checks were an odd concept to learn. Mainly as other games he knew were about getting rid of the other player’s pieces. The king being unable to move was a serious problem.

More armor ponies arrived in time. Soft had them get Dr. Larch to a hospital, and they carried the doctor off.

One of them then asked why anyone would play chess with the things that happened.

Sunshine didn’t mind it though. Maybe now Trembles could be his friend. He soon wondered if pretty bird would like her too.